Reds: 5 players who exceeded expectations in 2021

3. Joey Votto, Reds first baseman

Okay, while Joey Votto had a fantastic season in 2021, I really struggled to add him to this list. I mean, c’mon, it’s Joey Freakin’ Votto. He’s a former MVP, six-time All-Star, and is earning $25M per season. How could he exceed anyone’s expectations?

Well, while I’m sure Votto would tell you that, at most, he met his own expectations, he more than shattered any expectations the majority of Reds fans had for the 38-year-old. Votto hit .266/.375/.563 with 36 home runs and 99 RBIs. And this was done with a month-long stay on the IL with a broken thumb.

Votto took a different approach to the game over the offseason and it showed. The 2010 MVP wanted to be considered among the best in the game and turned his attention to sabermetrics, specifically barrels.

So what are barrels? Essentially this is a batted with comparable hit types, taking into consideration launch angle, exit velocity, etc., that have led to .500 batting average or 1.500 slugging percentage. To put it simply, these are hard hit balls that typically have really good results. In 2019, Votto’s last full season, he had 26 (6.4%). In 2021, Votto had 56 barrels (17.2%).

Joey Votto’s performance, post-All-Star break, was downright amazing. Votto posted the fifth highest OPS (1.057) among all NL hitters after the Midsummer Classic and his 25 homers were the most of any player in baseball with the exception of Kansas City Royals’ catcher Salvador Perez. I think it’s safe to say, Votto still bangs!